The cost of living crisis is negatively affecting people's physical and mental health, with issues including poor sleep and feeling anxious, according to a new poll. The study of 8,000 people for the charity Nuffield Health found many saying healthy food is now too expensive while others are struggling with the cost of cooking.
When people were asked what they thought was having the biggest impact on the nation's overall health, cost of living was cited by 63%, followed by lack of physical activity (46%) and lack of mental health support (38%). In the past year, just over a third (34%) of people said their mental or emotional health has got worse and a similar number (35%) said their physical health has declined.
Those aged 35 to 54 appeared to be the most affected, with 40% reporting a decline in mental health, with issues including feeling anxious. Two in five people said their sleep has worsened, with around half saying this was having a negative impact on their mental health.
On average, those surveyed were getting five hours and 54 minutes of sleep a night, down from the six hours and six minutes in last year's survey. When split by income, the highest earners (£75,000 and over per year) slept six hours and 25 minutes a night on average, over half an hour more than those earning £33,000, who got five hours, 51 minutes.
Almost half of people (47%) said healthy food was too expensive, up from 44% last year. And 24% said poor mental health had stopped them from eating healthily, while 40% said healthy food was too expensive to cook at home due to the cost of energy.
However, the poll did find a slight improvement in overall levels of exercise for the first time since the survey began in 2020, though 76% of people still do not meet the NHS's recommended goal of 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. On average, people achieved 79 minutes per week, according to the survey.
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This is despite 32% of people saying they were motivated to exercise because it improves their mental health, up from 27% in 2022. A further 27% said exercise lifts their mood and helps them feel less anxious or depressed.
Olympic athlete Dame Kelly Holmes is now fronting Nuffield Health's 'Find 5' campaign to encourage people to spend five extra minutes a day focusing on their physical and mental health.
She said: "It's encouraging to see in Nuffield Health's latest Healthier Nation Index that exercise levels are on the up, however the impact of major events such as the cost-of-living crisis on our health can't be ignored. It's so important that everyone not only knows how things like exercise and sleep can affect our wellbeing, but are also given the right tools to be able to make a change, and that's why I urge everyone that might be struggling to get involved with this campaign and focus on small changes that could go a long way. I know how much moving more helps my mental health, and if everyone can find just five extra minutes a day then we'll help put the nation on a healthier path."
